Not that World Cup games need any added drama, but subplots always tend to spice things up. To the chagrin of the hapless Aussies, Italy and Francesco Totti in particular were able to exact their revenge on Guus Hiddink yesterday after Totti converted a 94th-minute penalty after a possible dive ... Read the whole story

There's a saying in soccer that "you're only as good as your last game." For international soccer stars, that saying can either be a scourge or a blessing. Barely two weeks ago, Ronaldo was fat, lumbering and in danger of losing his place on Brazil's starting 11; today he's one ... Read the whole story

Apparently, women are watching the World Cup in record-breaking numbers, which is great for the game. The big losers are advertisers, Reuters UK says, who definitely geared their advertising for predominantly male audiences. "It's a new phenomenon, which has been undervalued and underestimated," said Maurice Levy, chief executive of Publicis ... Read the whole story

The International Herald Tribune called it a game of "numbing caution" and "desperate mediocrity," as the Ukraine ended Switzerland's World Cup on penalties. Switzerland now has the dubious distinction of being the first team to be knocked out of the finals without conceding a goal. Which is another way of ... Read the whole story

Gianluigi Buffon, Italy's excellent goalkeeper, admitted that he couldn't watch as Francesco Totti stepped up to take Italy's last-minute penalty against Australia. "You see the play from the back and sometimes it's a tragedy and it takes you back to (South) Korea and you think, 'not again'." But it was ... Read the whole story